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NERFA 2015 –  Smile and Say CHEESE!
Cd Sampler? Check. Throat Coat Tea? Check. Guitar? Check. I’m ready for the 2015 NERFA Conference at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa in Kerhonkson, NY!! This is my fourth year at the conference, and I am very much looking forward to it, because I was chosen to perform a Quad Showcase in addition to playing in some fabulous Guerilla showcases after-hours. Here is my schedule!!

THURSDAY
Cup of Joe #1 Room 1409   1:30AM
Blind Justice Room 1322   1:45AM

FRIDAY
Jane’s Joint Room 1515   2:15PM
QUAD Showcase EMPIRE ROOM 10:45PM
Pie and Whiskey Room 1508   11:45PM
Heart and Hope Showcase Room 1419   1:15AM

SATURDAY
It’s Folkin’ Awesome Room 1515 11:45PM
Lilfest Room 1501 1:30AM

2015 NERFA Susan Cattaneo Schedule

For those of you not familiar with the acronym, NERFA stands for New England Regional Folk Alliance….but it’s pretty much singer/songwriter band camp. We gather together tomorrow evening and it’s one long fabulous jam session until Sunday. There will be panels and mentoring sessions. I’m mentoring on Songwriting and my hubby, manager and social media God, Dino will be mentoring on the Music Biz side of things. If you are attending and want to sign up for a mentoring session with either one of us, you can do it here.

And there will be singing! Oh, will there be singing! In the lobby, in the stairwell, on couches, in hotel rooms, in conference rooms, in the ballrooms – the hotel literally “hums” (pun intended, of course) with music.

My first NERFA I was so nervous, I felt like throwing up. I knew maybe three people, and had no idea what to expect. The first night of the conference, there’s a “welcome” cocktail party, and I remember looking into the mass of mingling musicians and wanting to get the hell outta there. But I took a deep breath, plunged into the crowd, and made my way….to the cheese table. I figured everyone likes cheese, right? I thought that would be a good place to stand and meet people. Here’s how most of my conversations went:

Me: Hi! Ah, I see you like Swiss cheese? Me too! My name is Susan. What’s yours?
OR
Me: Crackers? I love crackers! Can’t get enough, right? My name is Susan. What’s yours?

Yikes. It’s a miracle I met anyone at all. Luckily, I have found that the people at these conferences a wonderful, warm and very kind to strange singer/songwriters hanging out at cheese tables.

So, I’ll be filling up the car and heading to Kerhonkson tomorrow. I’m looking forward to singing my heart out, seeing old friends and of course, meeting some new ones. You know where to find me. I’ll be the silly woman smiling like a fool between the Swiss and the Cheddar.

See you there! xo S